Adventure Unit 7
Treasure Island — Flashcards
Front: What is a Boys’ Adventure Novel?
Back:
19th-century genre for boys focused on adventure, courage, and independence.
Hero leaves home, faces danger, and returns changed.
In children’s lit: Promotes bravery and self-reliance; shapes early ideals of masculinity.
Front: What is Romance vs. Realism in literature?
Back:
Romance: Exciting, imaginative, larger-than-life adventures.
Realism: Everyday life, moral choices, believable events.
In children’s lit: Mixes excitement with lessons about morality and maturity.
Front: What does Child–Adult Relations mean in children’s books?
Back:
Tension between freedom and authority.
Parents often absent, weak, or restrictive.
In Treasure Island: Jim’s father dies; mother faints → allows independence.
Front: What is Individualism?
Back:
Focus on independence and personal decision-making.
Jim defies adults to prove himself.
In children’s lit: Encourages self-discovery and courage.
Front: What is Life-and-Death Adventure?
Back:
Dangerous events that test bravery and morality.
Violence shown with control (humor, pacing, adult narrator).
In children’s lit: Makes danger thrilling but not traumatic.
Front: What is Narrative Technique in Treasure Island?
Back:
Told by multiple narrators: Jim, Dr. Livesey, Trelawney (letters).
Retrospective narration assures survival.
In children’s lit: Builds trust and realism in adventure stories.
Front: What is Moral Ambiguity?
Back:
Unclear line between good and evil.
Jim and Silver share traits: cleverness, ambition, adaptability.
In children’s lit: Encourages critical thinking, not simple right/wrong.
Front: Who is Long John Silver and why is he important?
Back:
Charismatic, manipulative, intelligent villain.
Uses language to control others and seem trustworthy.
In children’s lit: “Appealing villain” — shows how charm and words can deceive.
Front: What is the Power of Language in Treasure Island?
Back:
Speech = power to persuade or control.
Silver uses storytelling and flattery; Jim uses narration to justify himself.
In children’s lit: Reading and speech reflect social and moral power.
Front: What role does Class and Authority play?
Back:
Gentlemen = rich, educated; Pirates = poor, outlaws.
Both motivated by greed and hypocrisy.
In children’s lit: Questions fairness and social hierarchy.
Front: What’s the difference between Pirate Society and Gentlemen Society?
Back:
Pirates = democratic, rule by election.
Gentlemen = class-based, rule by money.
In children’s lit: Shows that “respectable” people can also be corrupt.
Front: What is Moral Relativity?
Back:
Right and wrong depend on situation, not fixed rules.
Both sides want treasure → greed unites them.
In children’s lit: Teaches readers to judge motives, not just actions.
Front: What is the Adventure Setting?
Back:
Remote or exotic locations (sea, island).
Ordinary rules don’t apply → freedom and danger.
In children’s lit: Symbolizes independence and moral testing.
Front: What is the Absent or Weak Parent trope?
Back:
Parents removed or powerless → child becomes hero.
In Treasure Island: Jim’s parents quickly disappear.
In children’s lit: Lets young readers imagine independence.
Front: How is Violence managed in children’s adventure stories?
Back:
Gradual buildup (natural death → murder).
Compared to “games” to soften fear.
In children’s lit: Helps children face fear safely through fiction.
Front: What is the Home–Away–Home Pattern?
Back:
Hero leaves home, faces challenges, returns wiser.
In Treasure Island: Jim grows through adventure and returns transformed.
In children’s lit: Represents growing up and gaining experience.
Front: What is Loss of Innocence in Treasure Island?
Back:
Jim kills Israel Hands → moral turning point.
He becomes mature but loses childlike purity.
In children’s lit: Marks the journey from innocence to experience.
Front: What does Capitalism and Greed represent?
Back:
Both pirates and gentlemen chase wealth.
Treasure = symbol of desire and corruption.
In children’s lit: Warns against valuing money over morality.
Front: What do the Flags symbolize?
Back:
Union Jack → order, patriotism, law.
Jolly Roger → rebellion, greed, danger.
In children’s lit: Visual shorthand for good vs. evil — but Stevenson blurs it.
Front: What does Treasure symbolize?
Back:
Desire, greed, moral temptation.
Real treasure = knowledge and maturity, not gold.
In children’s lit: Teaches that personal growth is the true reward.
Front: What is the Main Theme of Treasure Island?
Back:
Independence and moral testing through adventure.
Intelligence and storytelling triumph over brute force.
In children’s lit: Adventure as a path to self-discovery and maturity.
Would you like me to format these into a printable 2-column PDF (question on one side, answer on the other) for flashcard studying?